The TECHE Project council asked the question “How do we pass on a love for the Bayou Teche watershed to the next generation?”

The answer was “Get them in the water.”

The TECHE Project continues to secure the Bayou Teche as a designated recreational waterway. Margaret Simon was asked to join the TECHE Project Council as an educational consultant. With the support of Simon and the leadership of executive director Patti Holland, administrator Erin Bass applied for and received a Healthy Communities Grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the state’s premier anti-litter and community improvement organization.

The two day workshop was led by water quality instructors Patti Holland and Trent Haines, canoe enthusiasts Jeff Simon and Tave Lamperez, and an art project led by teaching artist Marla Kristicevich. Ten students between the ages of 10 and 14 from around Acadiana gathered at the New Iberia canoe and kayak dock adjacent to the Duperier Street bridge on Friday, June 9, 2023 to do water quality experiments, learn about boat safety, and practice canoe strokes in the bayou.

On Saturday, June 10, 2023, the group gathered at the Simon home located on Bayou Teche at mile marker 69.4. They paddled to the New Iberia canoe/kayak dock, a beautiful two miles of the 35 mile waterway. As they paddled, the students looked for trash to collect. An all too common sight on the bayou are plastic water bottles.

After the paddle, Marla Kristicevich worked with the students to create a Chihuly-inspired sculpture from painted water bottles. From science (chemistry of water quality and physics of forward motion) to environmental preservation, these ten young people have a deeper understanding of the waterway they live near.

Chloe Willis, a 12 year-old who had not been canoeing before said, “The more I traveled, the more connected I felt to the bayou and Louisiana.”

Charles Landry said, “I liked the feeling of freedom in the water. It was fun to go as fast as we could!” His sister, Osiana remarked, “I liked seeing all the plants along the water. It’s a different perspective.”

All the participants were proud of their art sculpture and can’t wait to visit the Bayou Teche Museum on Main Street in New Iberia, where the water bottle sculpture is currently on display. to see it on display.